Honeymooners Christmas Special 1982 Play on Youtube Review:

[Frank Gannucci]

Honeymooners Christmas Special 1982 Play on Youtube Review:

TV: Highly unlikely this will ever be shown on TV.

VHS & DVD: Highly unlikely this will be ever be shown on VHS/DVD.

To watch it, click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KE-xJ0ljgaA

Um,...all I can say is that it is different. I certainly hope that the upcoming Boradway play that hopefully opens in 2017 is A LOT better than this. For the longest time, I never knew that this existed. Basically, this looks like it was filmed on a home movie camera but it wasn’t as the closing credits indicate. This is basically a high school play and you can tell it is especially during the intro. The main people in the play are Dennis Larkin as Ralph Kramden, Ron Lebrechi as Ed Norton, Laura Kenyon as Alice Kramden & Julie J Hafner as Trixie Norton.

The play opens up with Trixie & Alice in the Kramden apartment. I should point out that the audio is a little hard to hear. The boys are both being elected Raccoon of The Year. Alice: “You know how competitive Ralph can be.” Trixie helps Alice open the window since Ralph hates fish. The girls “open the window.” (In reality, the window in this play isn’t real.) Trixie says that since the boys are getting the award together that they should be given a gift. Alice agrees. Alice remembers the fact that Ralph won $25 a long time ago and he probably forgot it so she will use that money. Alice: “How about getting those matching bowling balls.” Trixie: “Those are for husband and wife.” Alice (with a smile): “Well…” The crowd and the girls laugh for obvious reasons. Trixie leaves just as Ralph comes home. The crowd cheers just like they did on the series.

Ralph goes down to eat his dinner and he tells Alice about the $25 he won months ago that Alice was talking about. Ralph says that him and Ed instead of making a speech when they are given the Raccoon of The Year award, they will dance the Nutcracker Suite. Alice laughs because she says that Ralph can’t skate and why would he need the $25 for that. Ralph says that he needs it for the skating. Alice: “What part are you going to play, the Sugarplum Fairy?” Ralph is upset. Ralph: “I need the $25 for the costume.” Alice says that the last time Ralph skated, he threw his back out.
Ed comes down and the crowd cheers just like they did on the show. Ralph: “It is all settled Alice. Me & Norton are going to dance the Nutcracker Suite on roller skates.” Ed: “Would you mind running that by me again?” Ed thinks that the idea is dumb and laughs. Ralph: “Go ahead and laugh. I know you are just jealous Alice because I thought of it. Alice: “You are not going to skate and you certainly are not going to fit in any tutu.” Ed: “You got to admit Alice. The boys at the lodge will get a kick out of it.” Ralph: “I will make the ballet steps. You get us going on those skates Norton. Alice will give us the $25 so we can rent the costumes. Trixie yells at Ed to come upstairs since his dinner is getting cold. Ed dances a little bit of the Nutcracker Suite (complete with music in the background), takes some of Ralph’s food and leaves.

Some “guy” (a woman dressed as a man) named Wilie Lump Lump does a live fake commercial for a fake product called the Lamoo Color Comb. Willie plugs the commercial just as the set changers get ready for the next scene. I guess the director wanted people in the audience to have that feel like they are watching a TV show being taped in the 50s with “live commercials” much like the director of I Love Lucy Live On Stage did.

The next scene opens up with Ralph dressed in an undershirt and pants held up by suspenders. He gets the record player ready so him and Ed can rehearse. It’s an old-fashioned one with a handle. The “Nutcracker Suite” starts playing. Ralph starts rehearsing the dance. Ed comes down, dances the Nutcracker Suite and accidentally knocks Ralph down while Ralph is dancing. The music on the record stops. Ralph gets upset. Ed said that he was just practicing. Ed tries to get Ralph off the floor. Ed: “When I say: ‘Heave!’, we ‘Ho!’” That doesn’t work. This is similar to the final seconds of the roller rink scene in “Young At Heart.” Ralph gets up by himself. Ed says that he brought along a female wig. Neither of them wants to wear it. Ralph says he won’t wear it because this dance requires a lot of leaping, spinning etc. Ralph: “The star has to leap into the arms of her hero. You can’t expect me to leap into your arms.” I can just picture Ralph being so stupid to think that he will leap into ED’s arms but he doesn’t say that here. Ed wears the wig.

He than puts on the record. Ballerina music plays as they rehearse the dance. Ed doesn’t pay attention to Ralph’s instructions as he does his own dances which are not the same as Ralph’s. Ralph, upset, puts on the wig AND his Raccoon cap. They put their caps over their hearts and pay tribute to their brother Raccoons. They put their caps on and rehearse. I’m sure if a person who saw this and knew nothing about this show, would assume that Ralph & Ed may be gay or bisexual. Ralph actually goes behind the very visable curtain. Ed pulls him back on the set. I wonder what was up with that. The girls come in. Ralph: “One word out of you Alice, Bang! Zoom!”
Some “guy” (a woman dressed as a man) named Wilie Lump Lump does a live fake commercial for a “new invention” called…wait for it…Duz detergent. Another fake item. He plugs the product with a bunch of people dressed as Duz detergents.

The next scene is up. Ralph comes out with the same outfit as before except he is also wearing a tutu. I didn’t know that they made tutus in XXXL. Ed comes out in his usual Ed Norton attire plus a tutu. The Head Raccoon is played by a kid. No, I am not joking. He is standing behind a table. An woman in a white dress (whose names I couldn’t comprehend perhaps due to the low audio) walks around. Someone takes a picture. I wonder if they were from the play’s audience. The head Raccoon announces Ralph & Ed as the Raccoon of The Year. Ed takes the award much to Ralph’s chagrin. Ralph & Ed come up. We are supposed to believe that they are wearing roller skates. Why am I saying this? Read on. Ed makes a speech. Ralph: “Make it short Norton.” Seconds later, Ralph takes the award out of Ed’s hands like a selfish kid. Ralph than says that him & Ed are going to dance the Nutcracker Suite in lieu of a speech. Ralph asks that the stage be cleared so they can dance. Ralph: “Music Maestro.” The “Nutcracker Suite” plays. Ralph & Ed dance. During the dance, they partially go out the very visable curtain on the right. What is up with that? At the end of the dance, Ralph gets whipped and “via roller skates”, goes through the black curtain and we hear him falling.

Some “guy” (a woman dressed as a man) named Willie Lump Lump does a live fake commercial for a fake product called the Luckily-Split Denture Cream. Willie plugs the fake product in hilarious fashion with the help of a kid dressed like a man. A stage crew member is shown visably laughing as well as Willie.

The next scene opens up with all of them coming into the Kramden kitchen. The girls cheek kiss each other when they enter for some reason. Everyone (except for Ralph) is laughing because of Ralph falling. Ralph needs help getting his coat off because he is in so much pain. Alice helps out. Ed reveals that Ralph fell on Brother Wilcox. Trixie says that Ralph didn’t fall on Brother Wilcox. He landed on Teddy Oberman’s wife Blue Bon. Ralph wants to sit down. Alice: “You are the one who wanted roller skates. No one made you do it.” Ralph: “One of these days Alice, BANG! ZOOM!” Ralph is upset that he fell down in front of everyone. A few seconds later, he lightens up and laughs at what Ralph & Ed did. So does everyone else. Ralph: “I learned something tonight. It was like being kids again. He remembers during Xmas time, he found a pencil box and turned it into a beautiful jewelry chest for Alice’s mom. Huh? He remembers a few other Xmas related things that happened. Ralph: “That is what memories are all about. Giving something to someone even if they don’t give it to you. That is the secret to staying young.” Alice: “I don’t mind growing old as long as it is with you.” Ralph: “BABY, YOU’RE THE GREATEST.” The couples hug their respective significant others. This last scene is similar to the last scene of “Young At Heart.” A door knock is heard. Santa Claus enters with a bunch of kids and the woman in a white dress from the previous scene as “Deck The Halls” starts playing for a few seconds. They all bow to the crowd as “The Honeymooners” theme plays. The lights turn off than come back on as each member of the cast goes up front in center and Jule J Hafner says: “Merry Christmas!” Dennis says: “Happy New Year!” The credits roll. What is interesting in the credit roll is that they say that Santa Claus plays himself. (No, I am not joking.) The credits also say that it was filmed live from the basement of the 46th Street Theatre, below the stage of NINE the Musical, Christmas 1982. I did some research and found out NINE the Musical was played exclusively in New York during the time that this Honeymooners play was being filmed. I hope that they didn’t play at the same time that NINE the Musical was being played.